Alberta · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Thermal imaging inspections in Calgary

An infrared camera shows missing insulation, air leaks and damp spots without opening a wall, but only when it's at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Calgary's long heating season gives you months of good scanning weather.

Get matched in Calgary → How an infrared scan works
Hands holding an infrared camera aimed at a ceiling corner beside a frosty window; the screen shows a cold streak

Cost

Usually included; confirm

Best conditions

≥10°C inside/outside difference

Winter design temperature

−26.2°C

Houses built before 1961

10%

How Calgary is built

Calgary's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Calgary's 379,710 houses. Before 1961: 10%, 1961–1990: 38%, 1991–2000: 17%, 2001 or later: 36%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 10%
  • 1961–1990 38%
  • 1991–2000 17%
  • 2001 or later 36%
Each house stands for one in ten of Calgary's 379,710 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

When to book in Calgary

Calgary gets about 4,876 heating degree-days a year and has a winter design temperature of −26.2°C, according to NRCan's HOT2000 climate data for Calgary International. That gives Calgary a long window, roughly late fall to early spring, when the inside-outside difference comfortably exceeds the 10°C an infrared scan needs.

A 1950s brick bungalow on a snowy suburban street at dusk, lamplight in the front window
The same bungalow as an infrared camera sees it: heat glowing around the door, window frames, eaves and the rim joist above the foundation
Illustration: the same house in visible light and in infrared. A winter scan shows where heat escapes: door and window edges, the eaves, and the rim joist above the foundation.

What the camera finds in Calgary houses

Of Calgary's 379,710 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 10% were built before 1961 and 47% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses are where the camera earns its keep: empty or settled wall cavities, gaps at the top of walls, and cold corners where framing bridges the insulation. Run it with the blower door test depressurizing the house and every leak shows up as a cold streak.

What it costs

Most EnerGuide advisors include an infrared scan with the evaluation, but it isn't required, so confirm when you book. There's no provincial rebate or price list; the City of Edmonton's guidance is to expect more than $400 and to get two or three quotes.

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Calgary

Most EnerGuide advisors bring an infrared camera, but it isn't a required part of the evaluation, so confirm when you book. The scan is most useful with the blower door running.

Source: NRCan list of licensed service organizations, checked September 28, 2026. Call to confirm your street is covered and ask about wait times.

Thermal imaging inspection in Calgary: common questions

When is the best time for a thermal imaging inspection in Calgary?

Late fall through early spring, when it is at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Cold, overcast days with no direct sun on the walls give the clearest images.

Can a thermal camera see through walls?

No. It reads surface temperatures. Missing insulation or an air leak shows up because it changes the temperature of the wall or ceiling surface.

Who does thermal imaging in Calgary?

Most of the 26 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Calgary bring an infrared camera to an EnerGuide evaluation; confirm when you book.

Thermal imaging inspection near Calgary

Thermal imaging inspection in Red Deer136 kmThermal imaging inspection in Lethbridge177 kmThermal imaging inspection in Sherwood Park279 kmThermal imaging inspection in Edmonton280 kmThermal imaging inspection in Kelowna399 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Alberta); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Calgary International (8 km away).

Get matched with a registered advisor in Calgary

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